Arts

At Lancaster Country Day School, our visual arts program offers a diverse range of courses designed to nurture artistic skills and foster a deep appreciation for the arts. As students progress, our focus expands to enhance their analytical and creative thinking, along with their ability to process conceptual ideas. Our studio-based classes empower students to become increasingly self-motivated and independent, exploring various techniques and conceptual development. Through engaging critiques and the study of renowned artists and art history, students gain fluency in the language of the arts.

From Preschool through 12th Grade, dance at LCDS integrates physical wellness, artistic expression, and academic rigor. Our program encourages students to connect body and mind while building confidence on and off the stage.

Lower School: Integrated into PE and Wellness, students in PS–Grade 5 develop foundational motor skills, rhythm, and social-emotional resilience through movement and mindfulness.

Middle School: The Dance Express Explore elective allows students in Grades 6–8 to become "dance makers," focusing on original choreography, technical vocabulary, and collaborative performance.

Upper School: Students in Grades 9–12 choose from diverse electives – including Fundamentals, Social Dance, and the mindfulness-based Breathe course – to earn Art and PE credits.

Performance & Honors Opportunities: The Upper School Cougar Dance Team brings high-energy spirit to community events and athletic games. We're also a proud chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA), recognizing elite artistic and academic achievement.

Our music program encourages each child to develop his or her own musical abilities within the classroom, in public performances both on and off campus, and through individual and group lessons that explore both voice and a variety of instruments.
 
Opportunities to learn and perform abound across all three divisions. In Lower School music students explore musical concepts through singing, listening, playing instruments and creative movement. In Middle School students learn general music each year, and have the opportunity to be part of chorus, band and string ensemble. Upper School music students can participate in orchestra, chorus and jazz ensemble, as well as collaborating in small groups on special performance projects. Members of the large performing groups, such as chorus and orchestra, may audition individually for the Lancaster-Lebanon Music Educators (LLMEA) and Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) district-level music festivals.

Our theatre program emphasizes the development of stage-worthy skills through exercises in voice, movement, improvisation, and scene study.

Middle School Theatre
The Middle School theatre curriculum includes three courses: Public Speaking, Theatre Ensemble, and Theatre 8. Students are introduced to basic acting skills and techniques, and study pivotal periods in theatre history. Students also have the opportunity to participate in all of our main stage productions throughout the school year.

Upper School Theatre
Upper School students may participate in three main stage shows during the school year. Through these professionally-directed productions, our students are exposed to the collaborative process by fulfilling performance positions as actors, as well as coordinating and designing the shows’ technical aspects, such as sound, lights and publicity. These productions are independent of our additional theatre electives, which include: Playing Shakespeare, Beginning Acting, Advanced Acting, and Directing Lab.

Purchase Tickets For LCDS Theatre Productions

REGISTER FOR INDIVIDUAL MUSIC LESSONS

Individual music lessons are offered for a fee on piano, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, French horn, baritone, drums, voice, and guitar. Teachers make their own scheduling and payment arrangements directly with student's families. The age at which a student may begin depends on the instrument. Students studying an instrument will be given an opportunity to perform at recitals during the school year.

Meet Our Applied Music Faculty

Group lessons in 4th and 5th grade and sectional rehearsals in the Middle School for orchestral and band instruments are offered at no extra charge.

For more information about individual music lessons, please contact Myrna Eitzen, LCDS Music Lesson Coordinator.